This is just a copy-paste of all info the RP is based on, uploaded for convenience. Users are free to copy-paste content to reuse in their own RPs or make new ones.
Rules
Although I do not have any specific rules, all I ask is for you to be considerate for other people, that's all. The easiest way to do this, is to simply not control anything that is not yours, and give other users a chance to react to direct interaction with them. Users are free to role-play however they want, there is no regulation on frequency or word counts per post. If you do not know what to do, have nothing to add, or choose to bind your time, simply post PASS and your character is assumed to be passive but ready.
Role-playing should be done rather realistically, semi-realistically, or even a bit like what you see in video games or action movies. For example, characters can possess extreme hardiness, strength, intelligence, endurance, luck, and supernatural or superhuman abilities, but should not be godly or overwhelmingly overpowered to absolutely everything that is encountered. This is especially important during PvP role-playing; no-one wants their character to get killed and not have a chance to do something about it!
Characters are introduced however the user wishes; if you need ideas for characters, continue reading. Explain everything your character is, as well as retinue, followers or companions with the character if applicable.
User characters who are inactive for over a week or assumed to carry on with the quest behind-the-scenes, and don't need to be mentioned. User characters who are inactive for over two weeks are assumed to have trailed-off somewhere, and may rejoin the quest at a later time.
Magic is rare overall; a majority of people cannot be users of magic, but may be a common feature for role-playing user characters. Magic cannot be summoned inside other living things, as that would be way overpowered; this can only occur when the living thing is dying or severely wounded, as a sort of finisher or final blow. To compensate a meaning or reason behind this limitation in magic, it as assumed that the soul is a natural deterrent to magic. Someone who is spirited will naturally be resistant to magical attacks.
You do not have to read through everything, only as much as you want, both in the role-play's content and other users' posts. I can summarize what's going on for users if they ask, useful if they join at a later time.
Intro
Welcome to hell, stray wolves. This role-play is based off 19th century (1800s) Eastern Europe, but also mixes the 17th and 18th centuries as well, essentially a mix of pseudo-history, historic fiction, fiction, anachronism, steampunk, folklore, and fantasy, to maximize freedom of imagination whilst also providing a sense of direction, in this case, focused on Romania and Vlad III, who is also referred to as Dracula, Vlad Tepes or The Impaler.
There are potentially many active subplots that will take place in the role-play, which you can choose from to be a start for your character or your group, or create your own introduction or quest, or simply drop into the role-play as a character or a group and go with the flow without a story or reason. All subplots, characters and storylines will eventually merge into the finale if they do not begin together or trail off, or I will at least try to merge everything gradually.
For simplicity, the world is based off a fantastical equivalent to the real one, so that in case users get lost or need a sense of location, they can go on Google Maps. Romania exhibits steep mountains, coniferous forests, gorges, and rivers, and is quite a beautiful country.
This role-play merges the Deluge, Ottoman invasions, and the Napoleonic Wars together. While Napoleon campaigns in Western Europe, the Swedes, Prussians, Russians, Tartars, Cossacks and Ottomans raid and plunger Poland and Lithuania. The Ottomans also invade and raid the Balkans and Eastern Europe, and Transylvania—where Dracula resides—is no exception.
Despite so much war, Dracula's dark powers are at work, like a ghostly wolf stalking in the shadows, and no-one knows what to expect. Meanwhile, many other things are going on: Sherlock Holmes, the creature of Frankenstein, Mr. Hyde, Van Helsing, Jack the Ripper, and assassins from the Ottoman Empire also seem to be making their way to Romania (their storylines are described farther on). All of this can only be a royal headache for Dracula, but as a prince, a knight, and a voivode, he will be ready for anything!
If you have a character who already fits a steampunk, Old West, fantasy, medieval, Renaissance, or former world environment, that is probably good enough to get started. Continue reading if you are not sure where to start, would like a sense of direction or a story to work with, or if you simply are interested in a greater understanding of the world.
Thumbnail artwork Despair by Ilyas Phaizulline.
The title of the role-play is a reference to Vlad Dracul, the father of Dracula.
Freeform subplots and storylines – several subplots or minor storylines are detailed below. If you choose any of these, your character begins the quest alone or with retinue that you mention, or with a group of users you choose to go along with. These role-plays are open-ended, and have no fixed plotline or form; it simply “goes with the flow”, gradually leading to the thread's finale: to deal with Dracula. These subplots, or one you create, are the easiest way to start your character(s) adventure.
Drop-in
A term I use to refer to a character who appears without story, sense, or reason, just jumping into the story directly to get on with it!
Streets of Bucharest
The capital of Romania, Bucharest was the residence of Vlad III, initially a citadel. Some decades ago, it was under the administration of Russians, then Greek rebels took refuge in Bucharest but were massacred by Ottoman forces. Since then, there was a serious flood, the Wallachian boyars have rebelled against Imperial Russian administration, and now, Vlad III has come back from the dead and reclaimed his country for himself.
Whoever you are, you are wandering the streets of Bucharest. Even now, there are still tensions amongst Ottoman officials, Greeks and Romanians; everyone is quite nervous now that Vlad the Impaler is back, as his presence also means that vampires and who knows what else roam freely in the streets. With all this in mind, everyone feels like watching their backs at all times. So, who are you, and what are you doing here? Maybe you should check your back?
Bloodmoon Battlefield
A nighttime battle has taken place between the forces of Dracula and the Ottomans, but it seems Dracula's boyars and voivodes involved have hired mercenaries from other parts of Europe, due to the dead being of diverse uniforms, armours and appearances. The moon is in a total lunar eclipse, called “bloodmoon”. Your character awakens, surrounded by corpses, both slaughtered and vertically impaled. Crows are perched upon the impaled bodies, pecking out the eyeballs and guts.
To your character's potential horror, about half the impaled bodies are still alive: the victims have been forced to sit on a narrow wooden pole which was then planted in the ground until the tip pokes out their mouths or necks.
They sit like that, in extreme agony, with difficulties breathing. Your character may have no memory of the battle or even of oneself, having sustained a head injury and witnessed gruesome practises, causing memory loss. Who are you? What will you do?
Moonlit Graveyard
A moonlit graveyard, so big it's like a forest of tombstones. Eerily enough, the graveyard is always under a full moon. Metal fencing encloses the graveyard, but there are groves here and there within it. Why you have came here is up to you: perhaps you are a grave robber, or are trying to find the grave of a loved one you wish to visit, or are a necromancer eager to summon some zombies, or are simply lost and wandering through the night. Some tombstones have gargoyles, which look so realistic it was as if the tombs gave birth to them.
On the outskirts of the Moonlit Graveyard, is a stone church, almost looking like ruins. The bloodmoon, cloudy sky, and foggy air is rather spooky. Your character overheard the bell ringing; the church bell ringing in the dead of night is quite odd. You can choose to investigate, or head to the Moonlit Graveyard, or do whatever reason you are here for.
Hunter's Moon
This occurs around the time of sunset, the moon having an orange tinge. It's neither bright nor dark, something in-between. You noticed the hunter's moon while walking along farmland for whatever reason, perhaps escaping the impending wars, patrolling your property, fleeing authorities or angry villagers, or what have you. You consistently overhear howling wolves, but the howling is very deep, and you can always hear it, as if you are being stalked by it. You then...
Scotland Yard
Various detectives from the United Kingdom have been sent to investigate a criminal syndicate leading them to Romania. Involved in this criminal syndicate were the brutal murders of several British noble families who went to Romania for unknown reasons.
Curiously enough, when Jack the Ripper disappeared, giving Whitechapel a chance to relax, a few months later, the murders of the British noble families occurred, leading some to speculate that Jack the Ripper escaped Britain to continue his bloody rampage elsewhere, as the murdered British nobles were killed in the same fashion as The Ripper's previous victims. Scotland Yard wants to uncover what is really going on in Romania.
Operatives are often equipped with a revolver and swordstick/cane-sword or hardwood walking stick which can be used as an improvised weapon. Some carry a sword, such as a rapier, sabre, backsword, sidesword, or smallsword.
Users part of this faction are probably detectives, agents or bodyguards from the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, or any other place that is English-speaking or from the Western world, who have joined together to unravel the mysteries of this troubled area, as well as hope to apprehend Jack the Ripper if he is here. Users may also be guides, Gypsies, or woodsmen leading the exhibition, or simply travellers who have tagged along.
Sherlock Holmes is a renowned private detective, who solved many crimes, even for Scotland Yard. Travelling to Romania with Scotland Yard operatives to uncover what is going on; like most people from the civilized west, does not believe in the supernatural. Proficient in boxing, bartitsu, singlestick, fencing, and the use of pistols. Above average strength. He was initially involved in the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but Jack the Ripper was obviously a greater threat, and so Mr. Holmes heads towards Romania.
Dr. Watson, the long-term astute companion of Sherlock Holmes. He has seen service in Afghanistan, and as such, he is a medical doctor as well as a soldier, and is an excellent marksman with both pistol and rifle. Joined his friend Sherlock to journey to Romania, eager to finally bring justice to The Ripper. As a gentleman, he is brave, athletic, hardy and strong. Also has a moustache. Dr. Watson speculates that Professor James Moriarty, the “Napoleon of crime”, is involved in the horrific murders in some way.
Bran Castle
The fabled castle where Vlad the Impaler supposedly resided himself. Although most people do not know this, originally, the fortress was built by Teutonic Knights in the early 13th century, but it was destroyed by the Mongols. Eventually, Saxons would rebuild the castle upon that same spot.
Overall, this does not seem to be where Dracula himself would reside but it is still quite a beautiful fortress, but is it worth taking a closer look? It seems to be occupied by Romanian monarchs; it used to belong to Hungarian kings, but they failed to pay debts, and so it was regained by the Romanians.
However, Bran Castle is one of the main fortresses where the members of the Order of the Dragon reside, knights loyal to Vlad III who swear to defend Christendom against the Ottomans, but will they have forgotten about their ancestors' oath a few hundred years ago? There are some Teutonic Knights present here as well; who knows what they are planning.
So, who are you and why are you here? Or maybe you just see this up in the distance and want to take a closer look? Bran Castle is right in the middle of Romania, and so not threatened by any foreign force, but, undoubtedly, Dracula's vampiric agents prowl.
Corvin Castle
A beautiful castle, where Vlad the Impaler was said to have been imprisoned during his reign. A vampire lord is terrorizing the surrounding area, presumably due to revenge for Dracula's humiliating incarceration a few centuries ago. The Order of the Dragon have a presence here as well. Hungarian soldiers are protecting the castle, awaiting an assault as sunset approaches. Are you a defender fighting for the Hungarian castellan, a random adventurer, or an attacker serving the vampire lord?
Poenari Castle
A ruined and small but strong castle situated along very high, steep cliffs. It's an intimidating place to reach. Speculation suggest that this was Castle Dracula, but it looks rather simple, hardly a place for a vampire prince to reside in! Nevertheless, Vlad the Impaler did indeed repair the castle and used it for military purposes.
Currently, there are some Romanian soldiers and a small detachment of knights from the Order of the Dragon stationed in the castle, preparing for Ottoman or vampiric incursions. Although in ruins, it is just enough to serve as a base of operations. Perhaps you are there as reinforcements, or to help the Ottomans take the castle, or intending to take it for yourself.
Castle Frankenstein
Yes, there is a castle called Frankenstein, which is in Germany. According to legend, there was a crazy alchemist (possibly Johann Georg Faust) who conducted odd experiments and magic in Castle Frankenstein, but he disappeared from history, legends saying he was taken by the devil.
Two hundred years later, Mary Shelley visited the castle, which would be the influence for her legendary story. And so, Dr. Victor Frankenstein created a monster, which then ruined his life out of spite. According to legend, Victor chased the monster, somewhat nicknamed Demon, to the Arctic, but fell into waters. He was saved by an exhibition sailing to the North Pole, but he contracted pneumonia, and died. Overcome by grief, the Monster of Frankenstein heads towards the North Pole, to burn himself alive and so die, and was never seen again, nor was the exhibition...
Some rumours speak that the exhibitionists to the North Pole found the monster's charred body, and took it on-board. The ship sailed back to Europe, and found out that Demon survived, but was so wounded by the flames that he could not move. Falling into the same curiosity to Dr. Victor Frankenstein, the exhibitionists explore Eastern Europe, hearing stories of witches and sorcerers who could heal monsters. If your character chooses to investigate Castle Frankenstein, hints will be uncovered to finding Demon somewhere in Eastern Europe, and then head to Romania. There are some Teutonic Knights present in this castle, too.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Somewhere in the United Kingdom, was the odd case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. A concoction caused a strange transformation of Dr. Jekyll, who is gradually losing the ability to control the transformations, as he ran out of a special kind of salt. Knowing that he would inevitably permanently transform into Mr. Hyde, he flees to Eastern Europe, hoping to find a cure, hearing stories of powerful witches who may save him...
You heard of this man, somehow, someway; maybe you knew him? Will you choose to investigate him, or try to save him, or perhaps desire revenge for an evil act Mr. Hyde had done to you, or perhaps you seek to remake his evil concoction for yourself? Whatever the reason, you must follow him, towards Eastern Europe, to discover what you desire.
The Order of the Dragon
This order of knights swears fealty, loyalty and allegiance to Dracula, to protect Romania and Christendom from Ottoman threats. The order is in quite a struggle, as they are aware that Vlad III is a vampire, but will they remember the oath of their ancestors? Users part of this faction are knights, squires, pages, or “half-brothers”, a term used to refer to various soldiers, mercenaries, militia, pilgrims or volunteers serving the order but are not knights.
Most knights do not fight as the knights of old, but instead as armoured infantry with muskets, swords and grenades. However, some knights choose to fight old-fashioned, donning full suits of plate armour and wielding Renaissance-era melee weapons. This order resides in various castles throughout Romania, but they have some presence in castles of Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Moldova, Macedonia, and Greece.
Teutonic Order
The Teutonic Knights have been building castles in Eastern Europe for several hundred years. Having been defeated long ago by the Slavs and Baltic peoples at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, they are a shadow of their former self. Like the knights of the Order of the Dragon and Knights Hospitaller, Teutonic Knights usually fight as modern but armoured infantry with muskets, grenades and swords, but some choose to fight as knights in full plate armour.
Most Teutonic Knights reside in various castles in German-speaking countries, and are only involved in clerical and hospital duties. Nevertheless, some Teutonic Knights still patrol Eastern Europe, continuing their ancient duty to fight pagans and anything that threatens Christendom just as their ancestors did. Teutonic Knights of old were known for their ruthlessness, brutality, terror, and indomitable nature; perhaps these Germanic knights will preform knightly cruelty once again.
Castle Dracula
No-one knows where the vampire prince's castle truly is. Maybe you've seen it in a dream? Heard of it in a legend? Why do you want to find Castle Dracula? Oh well, it doesn't really matter, does it? For whatever reason, you seek Castle Dracula, which is somewhere along the Carpathian Mountains, or so you believe...
Slayers
Van Helsing, a renowned hunter of vampires, werewolves, demons, and other monsters, has journeyed to Romania, for obvious reasons. With him are other slayers, perhaps companions, apprentices, adventurers, insurgents, or freedom fighters, or whatever. Users part of this storyline travel with Van Helsing to slay monsters and save people.
Creating a subplot, quest, scenario, or adventure
If you wish to create your own subplot, storyline, quest, scenario, mission, or adventure, or what have you, do so however you want, but it must correlate to the themes and locale of this thread or Dracula in some way. Created content will be merged with the role-play as it progresses.
Miscellaneous classes – rather neutral classes that are not necessarily part of a faction or nation; available for all subplots and minor storylines, and users have the freedom to form a group of such adventurers of their choosing if they wish. Users don't have to choose any listed class, and can be whatever they want, too.
Adventurer/Swashbuckler
generic term referring to any kind of person who sets out, either alone or in a group, to explore and fight when necessary. They vary depending on the user.
Slayer
a specialized killer of supernatural creatures, such as witches, werewolves, vampires, undead, or monsters. They vary greatly depending on the individual, but often are depicted wearing a long coat, wide-brimmed hat, and various specialized weaponry.
Highwayman/Outlaw/Bandit/Brigand/Waylayer
a robber popularly depicted wearing a long coat, broad-brimmed hat and a mask, who waylays travelling people or carriages, or worse, murder passing victims. They sometimes have horses, and may even rob trains.
Deserter
a soldier who fled one's army, for whatever reason. Deserters can be any military class with any equipment anywhere from the 1600s to 1800s, from any country.
Hajduk (pronounced “hi-duke”)
refers to a brigand, outlaw or freedom fighter throughout the Balkans and sometimes Eastern Europe, who fights against oppressive Ottoman rule, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, and being poachers when necessary. Hajduks generally are Balkan Slavs (Albanians, Croats, Serbs, etc.) but they may also be Greeks. A harambasa is a hajduk leader.
Rakehell
a noble, usually from Western Europe, who has plunged into immortal conduct, especially gambling, brawling, illegal duelling, debt, murder, banditry, and general debauchery. Quite dangerous, as being nobles, they are excellent fencers, and can ride horses.
Pirate
a robber who should be in a boat rather than on land! Sometimes, pirates venture inland for pillaging, vacation or adventure. Iconically equipped with cutlass, grenade, and pistol or blunderbuss or hand cannon, and sometimes having a wooden peg for a leg, bandana, or eye patch. Why exactly pirates are sailing around in the Black Sea and then walking to Romania is anybody's guess.
Magic-wielder
Magician, Wizard, and Mage are generic terms for a magic-user, popularly depicted wielding a staff or wand capable of unleashing magical projectiles of some kind, and wearing a robe and broad-brimmed hat.
Sorcerer, Witch and Warlock refers to magic-users who tend to be associated with dark, evil, accursed or destructive magic.
Pyromancer refers to an individual who summons and controls fire and conjures combustion and immolation. Quite an intimidating foe to face.
Necromancer refers to an individual who raises and controls the dead. Such dark arts are openly hated and feared by just about everyone.
Alchemist
generic term popularly referring to crazy scientists experimenting with strange concoctions, potions, chemicals, creating monsters, and who knows what else. Can also make Molotov cocktails, explosives, chemical-based smoke or bombs, repair just about anything, make steampunk equipment, and who knows what else.
Cleric
a priest, priestess, monk, nun, or some other clerical agent, often involved in healing the sick and wounded, and warding away evil things with holiness or prayers. Sometimes have holy artifacts or saintly relics, and may even be capable of preforming miracles and supernatural healing.
Dervish
wandering spiritually-minded aesthetic from the Islamic world, who has ended up in Romania for some reason. A dervish popularly wields an axe called a tabarzin, which has a thin hollow or solid metal shaft, which comes in one-handed and two-handed variants, often with a crescent-shaped axe blade. Dervishes wander the world, begging for charity or alms to then give to the poor or needy.
Like other clerics, dervishes are holy, and so resistant to evil, devilry and curses, but they can be brought to fiery rage when they feel their faith is threatened. Dervishes, oddly enough, sometimes practise eating red-hot coals; such a strange practise makes them resistant to pain, fire and pyromancy.
Expatriate
a kind of soldier who was exiled or fled from one's homeland, now adventuring or seeking employment as a mercenary or bodyguard, often as infantry of some kind. Although often assumed to be a low quality, they tend to be experienced soldiers who can think for themselves during battle, even serve as reliable captains, but tend to be of dubious morale and loyalty. Expatriates generally come from European countries.
Galloglass
a medieval-style Celtic mercenary from Scotland or Ireland, wearing a kilt, hat, and sometimes mail armour. A galloglass may be armed with a broadsword, claymore, lochaber axe, bow, shield, dirk, and even war darts or javelins.
Some Scottish mercenaries travelled to Eastern Europe during the 17th century, and so they are the basis of the galloglasses and kerns in this role-play.
Knight
there are some purist traditionalists who hate modernization so much, they refuse to change. The classic knights of old wear full plate armour, often in Gothic, Maximilian, Greenwich, Milanese, black'n'white, alwyte, or some other style of armour, or of composite assembly, not only for themselves, but also for their horses. Their armoured horses are rather slow, but once at a gallop, the knight and a couched lance can skewer anyone, even knock armoured foes down in one blow. Anything without armour would be an afterthought.
Such knights do not fight with nor have any training in firearms (but can still shoot a gun), and their armour is of such high quality steel that they are resistant to most bullets but only at long range. Some knights wear up to two additional breastplates, screwed onto their cuirass, making them bullet-proof, but modern rifles will break into the armour at close range, or at least damage most of it after some shots.
Knights and their horses are conditioned to wear heavy armour, and are not affected by it in any way. On foot, they are equipped at least with a dagger and longsword sheathed at their sides, a war hammer or battleaxe or mace set down a ring at their belt, and then a great sword, poleaxe, or lance as their main weapon.
Knights consist entirely of nobles, who possess unrivalled elan and courage, to a point of impulsive foolishness, where their eagerness to fight overcomes tactical sense and reason. More useful for slaying dragons that don't exist, knights are extremely rare, and simply no match against riflemen, who can repeatedly shoot and break apart bullet-proof armour. Knights may have a squire and up to a few pages. More modern knights fight like the Knights of St. John: as musketeers who wear some plate armour, and have grenades and swords.
Corps classes – for users who would like to role-play while commanding a minor force or small army.
Lost officer
an officer of a modern military, probably from Imperial Russia, Austria, Hungary, or Poland, who became separated from the main army somehow. The officer and according soldiers regrouped, but are unsure of what to do, as they cannot find their main army. An officer's attendant or bodyguard is called a trabant. The officer and survivors of the corresponding regiment(s) or squad(s) are now alone in a country with roaming vampires and werewolves, and God knows what else!
Freikorps captain
Freikorps refers to mercenary companies from German-speaking countries, in this case, probably Prussian or Austrian adventurers seeking employment. Usually riflemen or skirmishers, but some may also be cavalry. They may have modern guns. A company of mercenaries do not necessarily have an absolute leader, but work as an independently-minded group, though there is often a captain or officer as a frontman of some sort. They often consist of a regiment, from a few to several dozen individuals, but may even consist of hundreds of roaming mercenaries.
Ataman
a Cossack leader or chieftain. Cossacks are an independently-minded warrior people, fierce and cruel, who fight in both old and new fashion, on foot and horseback. They are comfortable fighting with firelock to modern rifles, composite bows, and sabres, on foot and horseback.
An ataman controls from hundreds to thousands of Cossack warriors, but may also supplement one's forces with mercenaries or adventurers from other parts of Europe or from the steppe peoples.
Bloodthirsty voivode
meaning “warlord”, a voivode is a political leader of a personal army. Overcome by bloodlust, such a voivode will do whatever is desired. Completely disregarding Dracula's rule, renegade voivodes do whatever they want, even pillage their own countrymen, or attack neighbouring countries. They are open to hiring mercenaries, spies, assassins, saboteurs, bandits, and freelancers to help them in their warlike pursuits.
Voivodes fight as light to heavy horsemen, sometimes wearing mail, scale or lamellar armour, and are armed with sabres and firelock pistols, and sometimes war hammers, maces or battleaxes.
Voivodes command from hundreds to thousands of soldiers and warriors, and may have mercenaries or adventurers accompanying one's army. Voivodes reside in fortresses or settlements, or may be the retinue of a boyar. Users may role-play as a voivode serving a user-boyar if they would like to.
Disloyal boyar
a feudal noble of great status, somewhat the equivalent of a prince or archduke yet not necessarily a family member of their monarch (in our case, Vlad III), who has chosen to disobey Dracula and serve his own purpose! Boyars may hire mercenaries and agents from anywhere they can to help them in their cause. Boyars usually fight as light cavalry, donning elegant robes and hats, armed with sabres and sometimes firelock pistols, but they can equip themselves in mail, scale or lamellar armour if they choose.
A boyar resides in a well-off settlement or minor city, and so the militia, and military is under the user's control.
Notes for guns – if the user is unsure of how historic guns function, or finds my notes inadequate, go on YouTube and look-up “flintlock” “caplock” or “breech-loader”, or any other term, to see videos of such guns in action. Note that I describe such guns broadly without specifications, for simplicity.
Small arms – these guns usually weigh no more than a few pounds and can be used by just about anyone. They can also be gripped by the barrel so that the handle serves as a rudimentary club.
Pistol: a firelock gun held in one hand, can be multi-barrelled.
Revolver: a gun with a revolving cylinder with up to eight or more chambers, allowing for rapid shooting, but expensive and uncommon in less-developed areas of the world. May jam or misfire.
Semi-automatic pistol: an early from of the modern handgun, usually having around five rounds only, and shoots pointed cartridges to better avoid jams. Such early semi-automatic pistols were quite small, and fired small bullets. These kinds of pistols are rare and expensive, with larger versions being bulky and unpopular, and ineffective as an improvised club. Other models had up to twenty-round magazines. Like early revolvers, may jam or misfire.
Two-handed firearms - such firearms mentioned below tend to be around seven to eight pounds. Bayonets may be attached at the end of muskets and rifles, and due to their weight, can get a bayonet through clothing and flesh easily.
Firelock: caplock/percussion lock or flintlock mechanism for a musket, carbine, musketoon, blunderbuss, or pistol. Such firearms may be double-barrelled, but if so, are heavier. Flintlocks may misfire in wet weather, but caplocks usually don't.
Muzzle-loader: refers to a firearm of which a ramrod is used to push a charge and bullet down the barrel. The most common firearm.
Smoothbore: musket with the inside of the barrel smooth, allowing faster reloading, but less accuracy and range. Shotguns also tend to be smoothbores.
Rifled musket: refers to a musket with the inside of the barrel having helical grooves, causing the ball to spin when fired, increasing range, accuracy and power, but the grooves make it a bit harder to ram the ball down the barrel.
Light carbine: a small or short rifle, shooting the same or similar ammo as pistols. Has less power and accuracy than other rifles.
Lever action carbine: carbine that has a lever to reload bullets, usually less powerful than muskets. Lever action firearms were not common in Europe.
Sawed-off shotgun: a shotgun with most of the barrel sawed off, to increase the spread of the shot, but obviously decreases range. Short enough to be held in one hand by a strong or fit wielder.
Arquebus/Caliver: a very old kind of firearm, discontinued by the arrival of the 1600s. Rather inaccurate, but at least lighter than a musket.
Heavy firearms - These modern guns weigh nearly ten pounds, and so require a fit or strong wielder to use effectively. If equipped with a bayonet, when the rifle is lunged home, the bayonet will pierce clothing and flesh easily due to all the weight in the gun.
Lever action rifle/repeating rifle and lever action shotgun: rifle or shotgun with a lever, allowing quick reloading, but can only shoot one kind of charge, that what it was designed for. The lever allows for very fast reloading until new cartridges need to be loaded. Lever action firearms were not common in Europe.
Shotgun/Scattergun/Peppergun: large two-handed gun, sometimes multi-barrelled, that shoots multiple projectiles at once. Shotguns usually were not used in warfare due to being too inaccurate, but useful against galloping horsemen. Additional barrels obviously increases the weight.
Pump-action/Slide-action shotgun: a shotgun that, when the handgrip is pulled back and forth, ejects a shell and loads a new one. Versatile, as can fire different kinds of shells. Shotguns such as these were not common in Europe.
Breech-loader: single-shot rifle, loaded at the back of the barrel.
Air rifle: rifled musket with an air reservoir and up to a twenty-round magazine, shoots quietly and without muzzle flash or smoke, making it an ideal sniper's weapon. A new air reservoir and magazine can simply be screwed in, allowing fast reloading, but a very fit user is needed to pump the air reservoir for adequate pressure for shooting. Such guns are delicate and damaged easily.
Bolt-action: modern rifle with a small lever that, when pulled, ejects the spent bullet and loads a new one. Uncommon overall, especially for citizenry.
Gatling guns, and other heavy machine guns, weigh around sixty pounds each, and require a crew of four to operate. Can unleash a horrific stream of bullets without overheating the barrels, as when they spin, gives them a short chance to cool-down a bit.
Cannons, howitzers, mortars and whatnot are so heavy they must be pulled by horses, or pushed by multiple operators, but vary in size. A cannonball can basically destroy anything in one hit, even break through castle walls. They can also be loaded with grapeshot, chain-shot (two cannonballs joined by a short chain), or canister shot (grapeshot held in a canister to reduce spread).
Notes for ammo – use the right bullet for the right job!
Round shot/ball: basic, cheap, round lead ball, fired from almost every type of gun. Multiple balls can be rammed down a muzzle-loader, and so used as a rudimentary musketoon.
Minie ball: bullet-shaped shot designed for rifled barrels, ironically not a ball. Good at piercing armour.
Buckshot: large, heavy lead shots or balls fired from shotguns. Can pierce armour.
Slug: very large ball or bullet fired from a shotgun as a single, huge shot. Too big to easily pierce armour, but the force can knock an armoured foe down especially if fired into a leg.
Scattershot: small lead balls fired from shotguns or muzzle-loaders, often in multiples.
Birdshot: tiny lead balls fired from shotguns or a muzzle-loader; a dozen or more can be loaded down a muzzle-loader. Ineffective against armour.
Hollow-tip: bullet with a hollow point, which spreads on impact, ripping apart tissue. Has less range and accuracy, and ineffective against solid armour.
Man-stopper: heavier, larger, lead bullet with a smaller charge, and so having less range and power, designed not to shoot through a body but smash into it, staying in the body, and so causing a larger wound and more pain.
Flat-headed: bullet with a flat top, having less range, accuracy and power obviously, but deals more damage to the body by making a larger hole, thus increasing the chance to incapacitate the target, shatter bones, and induce bleeding. The flat tip means it's not good for piercing armour.
Explosive: bullet that explodes on impact, causing big holes that induces severe bleeding and tissue damage. Expensive and dangerous, as they increase chances of misfiring. Can potentially ignite flammable things, too, such as barrels of gunpowder, crates of ammo or bombs, wooden buildings, and dried wood.
Notes for armour – the presence of werewolves and monsters, with their fangs and claws, has reintroduced the need for armour, as bullets do not necessarily stop a charging werewolf or monster! Nevertheless, armoured soldiers tend to be rare, but they are still useful for anti-monster patrols.
Scale, mail, and lamellar: flexible metal armour, allowing more freedom of movement than plate armour, and can withstand medieval weaponry and attacks, but firearms can shoot through. Offers some protection from shrapnel.
Plate and laminar: potentially bullet-proof at long range at least against old-fashioned firearms, and can deflect almost all conventional handheld and medieval weapons. Plate armour usually refers to solid plates of steel, whereas laminar refers to “banded armour” and so consists of a series of bands. Modern rifles will probably shoot through any armour.
Multiple breastplates can be screwed onto the front of a cuirass for additional protection against bullets, but modern bullets will eventually break through the layers of plates. Plate armour ranges from one to three millimetres thick. Plate armour is very hot to wear, but can withstand old-fashioned firearms, shrapnel, and scattershot.
Steampunk armour: mechanical or sometimes even robotic armour, too intricate and too variable to describe; varies depending on the character. Presumably, it is akin, or similar to, plate armour or laminar armour in defensive capabilities.
Soft armour: silk, cotton, linen, or some other canvas, when formed into a thick garment, can absorb any kind of attack, may even absorb modern bullets, but will possibly catch fire. Will gradually overheat the wearer in hot weather. Quite useful when worn beneath metal armour.
Insurgency – everything beyond this point is for more experienced role-players, who like to be part of a faction that involves purpose, politics, management, planning, and tactics.
This storyline is based off the region of Romania (particularly Wallachia, Transylvania, Moldavia, and the Carpathian Mountains), and is more complicated and broad than the freeform style and the subplots. This entire region is ruled by Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia (aka Dracula), and so involves the entire region. As you can guess by the title, this storyline is dedicating to defeating Dracula, with the option to control minor factions or forces.
A few centuries ago, Vlad III was betrayed by his own boyars, and they with the help of the hashashim, murdered Vlad as he fled, beheaded him, and dumped his body in a bog. Since then, Vlad Tepes has come back from the dead—even with his head—to continue what he did in life.
How he came back from the dead is a mystery, but an entity simply known as “the Cradle” has been releasing evil into the world, as well as giving dreams to people, dragging them towards the fabled vampire prince himself, calling them as if to offer them as sacrifices. Whatever the Cradle it, it definitely nurtures evil forces. Dracula and his vampire lords and their retinue reside in Castle Dracula, however, no human knows where it is; some say it is just a legend. The Cradle will surely lead to it, or a very brave and intrepid adventurer will find it.
Vlad Tepes has used fear factor to regain his ownership of Transylvania and Wallachia, and now, all of Romania bow to him, but the Hungarians to the west have their own king, and are allied with the Austrians, but Dracula remains undaunted even amidst empires at his doorstep. The boyars fear Dracula, but some, like their ancestors, are trying to find a way to get rid of The Impaler, and destroy the Son of the Devil once and for all.
Having asserted his dominion of his realm, vampires are part of Dracula's forces, who watch his castles and cities. The people live in fear for obvious reasons, but knights of the Order of the Dragon consider vampires fair game to protecting Christians. Although Romania as a whole is not a military powerhouse, Vlad's supernatural powers instill terror and dread.
In response to Dracula, some boyars and voivodes have secretly sent spies and agents throughout Europe to seek out anyone brave enough, or foolish enough, to help them in their cause to get rid of Vlad Tepes. Their reward is payment, but also ancient, hidden treasures they promise to share, as well as the opportunity to pillage Dracula's palaces and castles and anything belonging to him, and basically keep anything for themselves. Perhaps word may reach even the Americas and the Islamic world, and maybe even farther beyond.
If you choose to partake in the Insurgency storyline, your character will quest to help the Wallachian boyars and voivodes to defeat Dracula, or aid Romania in some way against the evil. This plotline is rather versatile, as your character can be anything you want, so long as they correlate to The Impaler or this storyline in some way.
The House of Draculesti – the opposite side of Insurgency: fighting for Dracula and his realm.
Users partaking in The House of Draculesti storyline can play as vampires, werewolves, undead, necromancers, demons, witches, sorcerers, gargoyles (for gameplay balance, gargoyles are not winged golems, but creatures with rock-hard skin) or other dark entities under the service of Dracula. Most humans fighting for Vlad Tepes do so out of fear rather than loyalty, however, Dracula's military genius and brutal techniques, at the same time, have protected Romania from Ottoman expansion many times. Only the most brutal, or most forgivable, patriot will fight for the vampire prince!
Users can also role-play as a boyar, hatman, militia, soldier, mercenary, adventurer, or undead serving Dracula, or whatever they want, for whatever reason. However, the relationship between vampires and humans is quite bad, at best.
If a user wishes, role-playing as a vampire lord is allowed, who commands human and evil forces when necessary or when required. Some vampire lords may be disloyal, and seek to get rid of Dracula and claim his throne for themselves, but of so, are still part of this storyline.
The Order of the Dragon, a knightly faction dedicated to protecting Romania from Ottoman attacks, is mostly loyal to Dracula, keeping to their tradition and oath their ancestors formed and upheld centuries ago, but many are hesitant or suspicious of their vampire-knight monarch and his vampiric lords. Nevertheless, the Order of the Dragon is willing to defend Christendom from Ottoman incursions, as are the remnants of the Teutonic Order and Knights Hospitaller.
Romanian classes – these classes are available to The House of Draculesti and Insurgency storylines. Romania is not as modern as Western Europe, and so only has native access to firelock guns, but sometimes they acquire modern guns.
Militia
a civilian who is also a part-time soldier, but they may also be volunteers, patriots, or levies. Their guns are usually old-style flintlock muskets, sometimes passed down from father to son over many generations. Sometimes they bring berdiches into battle.
Militiamen may also have attack or guard dogs, useful for guarding, sniffing out dangerous animals, criminals or monsters, and then attacking the threat.
Musketeer
a rather older-style soldier, usually wielding the old-fashioned but reliable firelock smoothbore musket. Muskets weigh around seven to eight pounds on average. They also do not uncommonly have knives, axes or swords as sidearms, and sometimes pistols, but too poor to import revolvers or other modern firearms.
Transylvanians tend to be aggressive during war, so are tough skirmishers.
Modernized musketeers have spike bayonets, large backpacks complete with bedrolls, food, water, fire-starters, some supplies, and cooking utensils, so they are useful for surviving tough conditions so long as they can make camp.
Transylvanian Grenzer
an aggressive skirmisher, formerly fighting for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but has defected or deserted the army, or simply finished one's military services, and returned to their homes to fight for Dracula or the various Romanian lords. Having a reputation for poaching and banditry, Grenzers can live off the land, but they are also trappers, pathfinders, stalkers, trackers, lumberjacks, and frontiersmen. They know the lay of their land perfectly, can seemnigly blend with shadows and vegetation like ghosts. A lifetime spent hunting is an excellent training for war, so Grenzers use their skills to hunt men, or monsters.
They tend to have hunting dogs, bloodhounds, or wolf hounds with them, useful for sniffing out enemies, wolves, dangerous animals, monsters, and then attacking the threat, trained to bite into hamstrings, limbs, and throats especially.
Expatriate
a kind of soldier who was exiled or fled from one's homeland, and now serves a foreign army, often as infantry of some kind. Although often assumed to be a low quality, they tend to be experienced soldiers who can think for themselves during battle, even serve as reliable captains, but tend to be of dubious morale and loyalty. Expatriates generally come from European countries, and now have employment for a boyar or voivode. If they come from modern countries, they may bring with them modern guns.
Cavalry
Transylvania is known for its forested steep mountains, so cavalry are not very useful in such terrain. However, some Romanians and Transylvanians still go to battle on horseback. They are usually irregular cavalry, serving as mounted gunners with sabres or axes, but they may also be lancers.
Corps classes
Freikorps captain
Freikorps refers to mercenary companies of German-speaking countries, serving abroad in foreign armies, in this case, serving in Romania for a boyar or voivode, or perhaps adventurers seeking employment. Usually riflemen or skirmishers, but at times also cavalry. They may have modern guns. Usually led by a mercenary captain or an esteemed soldier, in this case, probably you.
Boyar
a feudal noble of great status, somewhat the equivalent of a prince or archduke yet not necessarily a family member of their monarch (in our case, Vlad III). Most are too afraid to go against Dracula, but some are plotting to take him out. They even hire mercenaries from anywhere they can to help them in their cause. Boyars fight as light cavalry, donning elegant robes and hats, armed with sabres and sometimes firelock pistols, but they can equip themselves in mail, scale or lamellar armour if they choose.
Voivode
meaning “warlord”, they are the political leaders of personal armies, who may pledge allegiance to a noble greater than they, or serve their own interests. Due to the violent nature of Eastern Europe, most voivodes are disobedient to their rulers, more interested in minor wars, glory and plunder than anything else.
Even Dracula's voivodes often don't care about his opinion and often serve their own interests! Although they are one of the very few forces who do not fear Dracula, they may potentially plunge their country into civil war. They are open to hiring mercenaries, spies, assassins, saboteurs, bandits, and freelancers to help them in their adventures. Voivodes fight as light to heavy horsemen, sometimes wearing mail, scale or lamellar armour, and are armed with sabres and firelock pistols, and sometimes war hammers, maces or battleaxes.
Vampire lord: an enigmatic vampire of high status. Popularly depicted with long black suits or elegant clothing, long hair, and protrusive canine teeth. Sometimes wear up to full plate armour. Vampire lords directly serve Dracula himself, but some may be disloyal and seek to take power for themselves.
Ottoman Empire – the persistent invaders of the Balkans and Eastern Europe!
Having tried and failed to conquer mainland Europe many times, the Ottomans continue to send invaders, raiders, slavers and marauders whenever they can, especially in Eastern Europe. Despite having vast numbers and brave men, the Ottomans have been unable to secure a foothold within any European power for quite a long time.
Nevertheless, the Ottomans have a fearsome reputation, but this also means they are hated by almost all Europeans, with Wallachians, Bosnians and Tartars being some of the few allies they have in Europe. The Ottomans are now mockingly labelled as “the sick man of Europe” now that their once-mighty empire burns only as ashes and embers, gradually diminishing as the nationalism of various Slavic and Greek peoples rebel and fight for freedom.
Ottoman classes
Azzar
refers to a Middle Eastern irregular warrior, bandit or raider armed with a firelock musket, who lacks training, but good at hiding, ambushes, and skirmishes.
Panduk
a Muslim Balkan Slav, often Bosniaks/Bosnians, who once fought for the Austrians or Russians, who now fights for the Ottoman Empire. Panduks also serve as bandits, hunters and poachers when necessary, and tend to be brutal and aggressive with both gun and sword. Bosnians are one of the few European Muslim peoples, and like the Lipka Tartars, kept their own cultural identity.
Nizam I Credit
refers to modernized Ottoman soldiers, based on the “new model” to make them disciplined soldiers, shooting with Western-style rifles or carbines and having bayonets, trained by French advisors. Unfortunately, they are hated by almost all traditional warriors of the Ottoman Empire.
The Nizami-I Credit reforms were meant to replace the old-fashioned traditionalist warriors, but never truly succeeded. Some of them ride horses or camels to fight as dragoons or mounted gunners.
Janissary
meaning “new soldier” in Greek, janissaries usually consist of a levy of boys from the Balkans or Eastern Europe, but some are enlisted from within the Ottoman Empire. Generally, janissaries were taken as children away from their homes and potentiality brainwashed, then ordered to fight against the sultan's enemies.
They fight with good ol' fashioned muskets and swords, but some are quite traditional, and go into battle with composite bows, medieval armour, halberds, or battleaxes. Some modern jannisaries wield hand mortars, a kind of primitive grenade launcher resembling a short, thick musket (its weight makes it a useful club).
Historically, janissaries were forcefully abolished in 1826 by Mahmud II, known as the Auspicious Incident, of which around six thousand janissaries were executed.
Bashibazouk
ferocious warrior, open to committing atrocities and cruelty, often recruited from the indomitable mountainmen, but they also come from parts throughout the Islamic world. Generally they are equipped with whatever they can get their hands on, sometimes even just swords, axes or the iconic Khyber knife, and then sent into the direction of the enemy as dangerous and fearless fodder.
They have no problem slaughtering women, children and pregnant women. As such, they are nearly immune to fear and dread even against the supernatural, but also tend to be brainless and witless. Ottoman forces would forcibly disarm bashibazouks in their ranks after a battle to prevent bad behaviour.
Hashashin (plural, hashashim)
an assassin working for the Ottoman Empire, but some work independently for religious reasons or to be hired killers. Currently, some have joined forces with Wallachian boyars to try and kill Vlad Tepes once again, or wander alone or in small groups to get the job done.
The hashashim are a sect of highly-trained murderers, terrorists or insurgents, thought to have originated in Persia, but were destroyed by the Mongols during the Middle Ages. However, their legacy lived on, and the title continued to refer to assassins, or agents of murder and sabotage.
Ferociously devout and dutiful, they will use any means necessary to kill their ancient foe they once beheaded so long ago. Having no fear of death or consequences of their actions makes these men especially brutal and deadly. A hashashin is usually equipped with a curved sword, dagger, and flintlock pistol, and ropes with grapplers on the ends to climb walls or mountains. They have an uncanny ability to seemingly blend in with darkness, moving unnoticed like shadows.
Mameluke
a slave soldier often of Turkic descent, bought young and then trained in the art of medieval warfare at the master's expense. Some fight wearing mail or splinted mail sometimes for the horse as well, sometimes armed with composite bows, shields, and maces or swords, but most fight as courageous light horsemen with just swords. Mamelukes have not gone beyond firelock guns.
Historically, the mamelukes replaced the ghilmans during the early Middle Ages, and for the next several hundred years were feared as elite warriors who sometimes formed their own sultanates, but were defeated by Napoleon at the Battle of the Pyramids in 1798, and then the survivors massacred at the Cairo citadel by Albanian mercenaries serving Muhammad Ali, with only a single mameluke surviving after he forced his horse to leap off the walls of the citadel.
Sipahi
feudal fief-holders, landowners, or palace guards, often fighting as cavalry. Some are old-fashioned and fight in medieval style, wearing mail or splinted mail armour sometimes for their horses as well, and armed with bows, lances, shields and swords. They sometimes wear a kind of plate armour, known as “box armour”, which consists of four plates, each plate protecting the front, back, and both sides under the armpit, but worn over mail armour.
Unlike mamelukes, sipahi are not slaves, and unlike janissaries, sipahi are not levies: sipahi are upper class troops who view themselves as higher-ranking than all other Ottoman forces, as they are pure-blooded and can afford their own military equipment and retinue. As such, there are bitter rivalries between the sipahis and the mamelukes and janissaries. Modern sipahi bring up to several firelock pistols into battle, a sword, and a lance. Elite horsemen, even when armoured they are fast on their steeds.
Vizier
somewhat the equivalent of a prime minister, Ottoman viziers at times form armies of up to thousands of troops, essentially becoming warlords who invade Eastern Europe. Although they can amass the largest armies, viziers are not true generals, and so their armies tend to suffer high casualties. Perhaps a true warlord will bring the Ottoman Empire back to glory, even if it means beating the Russians, the Austrians, the Hungarians, and the Poles to the draw.
Austro-Hungarian Empire – bordering Romania, this empire is right beside Dracula's realm. Currently fighting the Ottomans and Napoleon, they would be a useful ally for Dracula, but such an alliance would be ambiguous.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire has access to modern bolt-action rifles, but most troops still use breech-loading or even firelock (caplock and flintlock) guns, as bolt-action rifles are rather expensive and rare.
Austro-Hungarian classes
Landwehr/Landsturm
militia of German-speaking countries. Often wear long coats and armed with firelock guns, sometimes having horses.
Militias may also have attack or guard dogs, useful for guarding, sniffing out dangerous animals, criminals or monsters, and then attacking the threat.
Schutze (plural, schuetzen)
meaning “shooter”, refers to modern light infantry who shoots with a rifle or carbine. Schuetzen rely on stealth, ambush, sniping and tactical strategy rather than force. They usually do not bring bayonets to attach to their guns, as it is not their job to fight face-to-face. Light infantry are not uncommonly recruited from hunters and frontiersmen, but they may be just regular soldiers trained to be light infantry.
Light infantry tend to wear large backpacks, complete with bedrolls, food, water, fire-starters, some supplies, and cooking utensils, so they are useful for surviving tough conditions, and tend to also be good at hunting.
Some are armed with the windbuchse (“wind rifle”), which is a kind of musket with a rifled barrel, equipped with an air reservoir and a twenty-round magazine, which can shoot as fast as the trigger is pulled, but each shot slightly depletes the air pressure, but a new air reservoir and magazine can simply be screwed in, allowing fast reloading. Such air rifles are nearly silent and produce no muzzle flash or smoke, but like bolt-action rifles, weigh nearly ten pounds. However, air rifles are delicate and so easily damaged.
Historically, air rifles were discontinued sometime around the mid-nineteenth century but continued to be used for sport shooting and target practise.
Jager (pronounced “ya-ger”)
meaning “hunter”, refers to soldiers recruited from hunters, rangers or woodsmen, they are also trappers, pathfinders, stalkers, trackers, lumberjacks, poachers, and frontiersmen. They know the lay of the land well, and can live off the land, too. A lifetime spent hunting is an excellent training for war, and now use their skills to hunt men. All this means they are useful for hiding and setting up tactical ambushes.
Jager tend to have hunting dogs, bloodhounds, or wolf hounds with them, useful for sniffing out enemies, wolves, dangerous animals, monsters, and then attacking the threat, trained to bite into hamstrings, limbs and throats especially, making them ferocious animals to face.
They may wear uniforms and backpacks like other modern soldiers. Although rare, some ride horses, usually then referred to as light dragoons or mounted rifles. Like other hunters, they always have a hunting dagger, hunting knife, or skinning knife, and can use them well.
Grenzer
an aggressive skirmisher with a rifle, muzzle-loader, or double-barrelled or over-and-under musket, often recruited from the Balkans and Transylvania, fighting for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but Transylvanian Grenzers may defect and fight for Dracula or the various Romanian lords. Grenzers can live off the land, but they are also trappers, pathfinders, stalkers, trackers, lumberjacks, poachers, and frontiersmen, but also have a reputation for banditry, all this meaning they are very good a hiding and ambushing. A lifetime spent hunting is an excellent training for war, and Grenzers can use their skills to hunt men, or monsters.
They tend to have hunting dogs, bloodhounds, or wolf hounds with them, useful for sniffing out enemies, wolves, dangerous animals, monsters, and then attacking the threat, trained to bite into hamstrings, limbs and throats.
Pandour
a Croat who fights for the Austro-Hungarian Empire as an irregular musketeer or skirmisher, but also are aggressive swordsmen. Pandours are soldiers first, but brigands, poachers, woodsmen, and frontiersmen second, and are infamous for ruthlessness, brutality, and cruelty.
Fusilier
modern soldier equipped with a rifle or a carbine, who serve both as light infantry and regular infantry, capable of skirmishing and holding a battle line, but not necessarily adept in either case. Sometimes, those with carbines have sword bayonets, to make-up for the shortness of the carbine.
They also wear large backpacks, complete with bedrolls, food, water, fire-starters, some supplies, and cooking utensils, so they are useful for surviving tough conditions so long as they can make camp.
Freikorps
mercenaries from German-speaking countries, now serving the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Usually riflemen or skirmishers, but at times also cavalry. They may also be Hungarians, Poles, Lithuanians, Croats, Serbs, Albanians, Slovaks, South Slavs, or even Tartars, Turks or Cossacks.
Expatriate
a kind of soldier who was exiled or fled from one's homeland, and now serves the Austro-Hungarian Empire, often as infantry of some kind. Although often assumed to be of low quality, they tend to be experienced soldiers who can think for themselves during battle, even serve as reliable captains, but tend to be of dubious morale and loyalty.
Infantry/Foot
typical modern soldiers go to battle as disciplined, orderly infantry of the line, meaning they arrange themselves in a wide line and march to the enemy, intending to defeat them with volleys or charging with a bayonet fixed to their firearm. Usually equipped with caplock or breech-loading rifles, but may even be equipped with bolt-action rifles.
They also have large backpacks, complete with bedrolls, food, water, fire-starters, some supplies, and cooking utensils, so they are useful for surviving tough conditions so long as they can make camp.
Infantry who ride horses are generally called dragoons, but they are neither remarkable horsemen nor carabineers.
Grenadier
large, tall, strong, courageous, disciplined modern soldier; despite being heavy infantry, they are fast-moving shock troops. They can reload quickly and aim well, and are excellently trained in bayonet fighting, charging, and grenade-throwing.
Each grenadier carries two or more hand grenades (similar to Ketchum Grenades or the iconic hollow ball with a fuse on the top), which can be thrown at enemies, vehicles, buildings, trenches, or anything else. Since these grenades are hollow balls of iron that weigh up to five pounds (they come in 1, 3, and 5 pound variants, heavier ones more destructive but requiring greater strength to throw farther), and the weight and size doubles as a concussive projectile.
Grenadiers wear a uniform, and a big, tall, iconic bearskin hat, which can stop a sword's cut.
Being large soldiers, grenadiers are easier to shoot, and can't hide or take cover as effectively as smaller people would. Hungarians have a reputation for being excellent grenadiers.
Like other modern infantry, grenadiers wear large backpacks, complete with bedrolls, food, water, fire-starters, some supplies, and cooking utensils, so they are useful for surviving tough conditions so long as they can make camp.
Officer
officers lead regiments to battle. They are equipped with a sword, being capable swordsmen, but also are rich enough to afford up to multiple revolvers or single or multi-barrelled caplock pistols. The presence of an officer boosts the prowess of friendly forces. If an officer becomes separated from the main army for whatever reason, the officer commands a force of a few to several dozen soldiers. An officer's bodyguard or attendant is a trabant.
Life Guard/Guard/Guard Grenadier/Foot Guard
elite modern infantry who fearlessly guard monarchs, governors or generals and their families. They are perfectly uniformed, and given the best training, food and drink, and often dine with monarchs, generals, nobles, and governors. As gentlemen who behave like spoiled brats despite their perfectly uniformed dress, they possess elan and courage that is unmatched by regular soldiery.
Since they reside with other nobles, they do not wear backpacks or carry supplies, instead relying on servants to bring them whatever they want. As gentlemen, they also know how to ride horses and fence, but tend not to be true cavalry or swordsmen: they are modernized but noble riflemen. Being wealthy, they also go into battle having swords as well, and may have up to multiple revolvers or double-barrelled or single caplock pistols.
Sapper/Pioneer
a military engineer, not necessarily a combatant, but armed with a sword, revolver or caplock pistol, and an axe designed for chopping timber, lumber, and wooden fortifications, or people, if the situation demands it.
They can also plant (fictional) bombs, which are flintlock mines activated when stepped on or triggered by a tripwire, causing a flintlock pin to activate, striking iron and so igniting the black powder, sending shrapnel, fire and smoke everywhere. They can build or disassemble various fortifications, buildings, constructs, and can repair almost anything.
Cannoneer/Bombardier
not necessarily a combatant, but someone who operates any kind of cannon. They carry sabres and caplock pistols for self-defence.
When not operating field artillery, they may wield hand cannons, which can shoot up to dozens of bullets at once and essentially be a giant shotgun, or fire a fist-sized ball capable of shooting through walls and bodies. The hand cannon can also be loaded with just about anything, even shards of glass, shrapnel, small bombs, stones, or even coins! If they do not have a hand cannon, they may instead wield a hand mortar, which is essentially an early grenade launcher.
Machine gunner
an operator of a machine gun, especially the Gatling gun or some other mitrailleuse. Such big guns tend to weigh around sixty pounds and require four operators to shoot efficiently. The operators are not necessarily combatants, but at least have a firelock pistol and sword for self-defence.
Dragoon
mounted infantry, who ride standard horses mostly for transport. They are not remarkable horsemen, riding heavy or light horses, but they can still fight as mounted and dismounted shooters and swordsmen. They wield a carbine or shotgun as their main weapon, but also have swords and up to multiple caplock pistols, but often unable to afford revolvers.
Carabineer/Carabinier
a soldier who rides a good horse, capable of shooting a carbine very well while on horseback, even while galloping. The carbine is shorter and smaller than a rifle used on foot, but more suitable to horseback shooting as it's easier to reload while on the move. They also have swords, but are not true swordsmen.
Hussar
light horseman who rides an extremely fast, swift, agile horse, armed with up to multiple caplock pistols or a revolver, and a sabre. Hungarians, Serbians and Poles are excellent hussars.
Lancer/Uhlan
light horseman who rides a very fast, swift, agile horse, armed with a lance, and sometimes up to multiple caplock pistols or a revolver. Although they also carry swords, they are trained to fight with their lances.
Uhlans are peculiar in that, unlike common lancers, they wear Polish-influenced attire, are often trained by Polish officers, and sometimes are ethnic Poles fighting for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Therefore, Polish uhlans tend to be excellent lancers.
Horse Grenadier
a mounted grenadier or bodyguard; historically, they never used grenades on horseback, but in this role-play, they do. Horse grenadiers are large, tall, powerful men, who ride large, tall, powerful horses, armed with heavy swords and a caplock pistol or revolver. Slow-moving despite not wearing armour, but powerful.
Cuirassier/Life Guard
heavy horseman riding a large, powerful horse, who wears a cuirass and helmet, and sometimes gauntlets, armed with up to multiple caplock pistols or revolvers and a sword. Slow-moving, but powerful. They are entirely noblemen or gentlemen, tasked with loyally guarding the monarchs or generals and their families. They behave like spoiled brats but are courageous and bloodthirsty. Their armour makes them useful for fighting monsters, whose fangs and claws simply cannot pierce solid steel.
Schwarze Reiter
meaning “Black Rider” in German, refers to an old-fashioned mounted soldier, who wears blackened or black'n'white armour (hence their title), but may wear enough armour until they almost look like knights of old. If they do not wear black armour, they are just referred to as reiters.
Each reiter is armed with up to multiple oversized firelock pistols, sometimes double-barrelled, and a sword, and although rare, some even bring a windlass-operated crossbow, to be used as a silent weapon when necessary. Although armoured, modern rifles can shoot through plate armour.
The presence of werewolves and supernatural forces has caused old-fashioned troops to be reintroduced, to better protect from claws, fangs, and magical projectiles, and so some European regiments have reiters of old in their armies, but reiters are still rare. Mostly used for anti-monster patrols, reiters are also useful against other armoured forces.
Ironside
refers to a kind of horseman who wears bullet-proof plate armour: a cuirass with up to two additional breastplates screwed on. Ironsides are bullet-proof at long range, but at close range, modern rifles will break through their armour after a few or so shots. Although they do not wear armour for the arms or legs, the Ironsides' multi-layered cuirasses are quite heavy, and slows down the wearer. Ironsides are rare, and like other cavalry, armed with swords and up to several caplock pistols.
Historically, Ironsides were Parliamentarian cavalry formed by Oliver Cromwell in 1643, but in this role-play, they were copied and employed by some armies.
Commander
A commander controls armies ranging from hundreds to thousands of soldiers, and may also include mercenaries, militia, levies, and tradesmen to support the army. The commander and staff are usually not soldiers, as they have an army and its battles to plan.
Other factions – factions or nations that do not necessarily have direct impact regarding Dracula, but still worth mentioning.
Empire of France
Napoleon is the Emperor of France, currently fighting half of Europe. France does not have much of an impact on Dracula, but a French army may pay the vampire prince a visit someday. Frenchmen are eager and hardy, but Napoelon also has Swiss, Polish, Italian, and Saxon allies.
British Empire
The largest empire in history, the British remain on their island, somewhat leaving the European coalition alone to face Napoleon, for now, but have engaged the French Navy. The British have colonies in the Americas, Africa and India, but lost in the War of Independence in the last century. British soldiers have a reputation for extreme discipline. The British do not have an impact on Dracula's realm, for now.
Imperial Russia
Having consolidated supremacy towards most of their naighbours, the Russians during the 19th century have fought Napoleon, Cossacks, opolcheniye, Turks, Persians, and Japanese. Although a superpower, Imperial Russia is in some decline, and does not play much of a role thus far regarding Dracula.
Imperial Russia has a modernized military, but their infantry and militia, like other East Europeans, sometimes bring berdiches into battle, as both a weapon and a stand for a gun.
Russian militia during this role-play's extended and mixed time period are often referred to as opolcheniye, a kind of elective (viborniye) and municipal (gorodskiye) militia, or chosen by the people (narodnoe).
Kingdom of Sweden
During the Deluge, Swedes raided and pillaged large portions of Poland, committing more damage than Nazi Germany during WW2. The Swedes also invaded parts of Russia. In this role-play, the Swedes have not stopped their invasions, and some may even end up in Romania, experienced in raiding in Poland, so now the Nords will turn their attention to Dracula's realm! Like the other major European countries, Sweden has a modern military.
A notable force of the Swedes are the hakkapeliitta, curiously, being fast but armoured cavalry from Finland. Their horses were the ancestors of the Finnhorse.
Poland
Having withstood several invasions by several different nations over the past few centuries, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth fractured apart by the end of the 1700s. Their most iconic and notable force were the Winged Hussars: heavily-armoured but fast-moving cavalry, whose backplates had towering feathered wings, which made the wearer a little more aerodynamic, as well as produce a whirring sound during galloping. Each Winged Hussar was armed with a lance up to six metres in length, a sword, and two pistols, and sometimes a battleaxe, mace, war hammer, composite bow, or a koncerz.
Polish peasants were notable for going into battle with war scythes, even charging Russian artillery. Indeed, it takes a lot of courage to charge cannons with just a scythe, and win!
Now that Napoleon has entered Poland, the Poles views the French Emperor as their liberator, but this does not have much impact on Romania, though Transylvanians did fight the Poles, something neither side will forget.
Steppe peoples
Tartars, Kazaks and Kalmuks are a few of the Asiatic steppe peoples, some of whom are descendants of Mongols who settled in Eastern Europe from the Middle Ages, some of whom could be found fighting for Poland, Lithuania, Imperial Russia, Ukraine, or the Crimean Khanate before it was annexed by Imperial Russia. A large minority also serve the Ottoman Empire.
They usually fight old-fashioned, wielding firelock guns passed down from father to son over generations, as well as composite bows and curved swords, but they are master horsemen and archers. Steppe nobles sometimes wear traditional lamellar or mail armour if they wish, and may even ride armoured warhorses as well.
Gypsies
wandering, semi-nomadic people, gypsies (usually Roma) are popularly depicted as living and travelling in wagons pulled by horses, and associated with crystal balls, fortunetelling, curses, and dark magic. They are excellent thieves and spies, and have an uncanny ability to seemingly sneak passed the law effortlessly. Although they are not remarkable as warriors, Roma have the stomach for assassination and knife-fighting.
Lisowczycy (singular lisowczyk)
Meaning “lost men”, lisowczycy (pronounced “lis-ov-chi-kih”) are Polish mercenary horsearchers, essentially mounted shock troops who rely on extreme speed and manoeuvrability in battle. Each lisowczyk wears Tartar clothing but no armour, however, are armed with sabres, war hammers, and sometimes maces or battleaxes, to better counter armoured enemies. Notoriously merciless, brutal, cruel and bloodthirsty, but superbly trained in archery, horsemanship and hand-to-hand combat. They were compared to cholera, alluding to their bad reputation. They served as mercenaries but tended to plunder anything they could set their eyes on, even their own employer's lands!
Historically, the lisowczycy found employment in their native homeland, as well as Russia and Germany, but were soon cut-off from their employers due to complaints about their bad behaviour. They sought to find employment in France in the 17th century, but the French King rejected the offer. By the arrival of the 1700s, all the lisowczycy ended up in disbandment or were hunted and executed by local militias, bringing their reign of terror to an end. In this role-play, the survivors continued their legacy.
Cossacks
A free warrior people, cruel but skilled on foot and horseback, proficient with guns, composite bows, and swords, on foot and horseback. A Cossack leader is called an ataman. They can usually be found in Russia, eastern Poland, and Ukraine, but Romanians, Poles and Lithuanians in the past sometimes fled their homes to live as Cossacks. Cossacks at times impale heads on the ends of their lances, to prove or show-off their kills.
Ukraine
Essentially a lesser version of Russia, but have kept their own cultural identity. Having survived extreme oppression and enslavement by Tartars, especially those of the Crimean Khanate, Ukrainians are tough, hardy, brutal, and brave people, but known to commit atrocities and cruelty, relentlessly raiding and harassing whatever enemy they face, and then brutally finishing-off stragglers or villagers they deem as enemies. Ukrainians usually fight as common old-fashioned musketeers and tenacious light cavalry, and their citizenry exhibit a stomach for war and atrocities.
Gorals
Hailing from southern Poland, Gorals live in the north-west sections of the Carpathian Mountains. Iconically equipped with axes they use for fighting and working. Like highlanders of other nations, Gorals tend to be hardy, brave, tough, and casual drinkers.
Slovaks
Some Slovakian villagers and woodsmen live along the western parts of the Carpathian Mountains. Slovakia is currently part of the Kingdom of Hungary, and so also part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Slovaks tend to support the Austrian monarchy, and were bitter rebels against the Hapsburgs, but remained rather behind-the-scenes for the most part.
Serbs
Some Serbian villagers and woodsmen inhabit the Southern Carpathians. The Serbs migrated away from Ottoman rule into German-speaking lands twice, formed a kingdom twice, and now are partaking in a national revolution against Ottoman control. Serbs have had a reputation for being excellent hussars and mercenaries since the Renaissance, and are good fighters and rebels, as would be expected from the Slavic peoples.
Elven clans
Elves inhabit the various forests; they are old-fashioned natural-born woodsmen and mostly are archers despite the modern world, but fast and precise. They are popularly depicted as Tolkien-esque, exhibiting long hair, lithe bodies, long ears, and a graceful nature, often wearing long loose-fitting robes. To compensate their lack of firelock weapons and modern soldiery, Elves use arrows tipped with poison, grenades, flares, or incendiary or smoke bombs.
Dwarven clans
Dwarfs inhabit the mountain ranges, in this case the Carpathian Mountains, and some Dwarven clans may even border with Castle Dracula. They tend to be stocky and physically powerful, but rather slow due to being short and short-legged. They are popularly depicted as stubborn and heavily bearded, wielding battleaxes or war hammers, and wearing lots of plate armour but Germanic helmets. They usually live underground, and are natural-born miners. Some of them wield crossbows, with bolts tipped with grenades, flares, or incendiary or smoke bombs.
Vargr tribes
Tribes of lycanthropes sometimes roam the countrysides and outskirts. The most feared type of lycanthrope is the Vargr, which means “destroyer”, referring to a kind of werewolf that has lost the ability to transform back into a human. Such literal werewolves are permanently locked in their monster form, and have been so for many generations, becoming a race of oversized bipedal wolves.
Vargrs are huge and powerful, up to seven feet tall, primitive but brutal. They hunt even bears; human prey would be an afterthought. Despite their big size, Vargrs are stealthy and can assemble ambushes easily. They fight as animals do, but may use anything they can get their paws on as weapons.
The Ancestors
Enigmatic beings, standing up to nine feet tall, they resemble giant, muscular, skinless humans, but are absent of eyelids, cheeks, lips and noses. So, their eyes are always open, they are constantly bleeding, their teeth and gums are always visible, and have mechanical parts riveted into their bones and bodies. They almost look like cyborgs, just without computerized components, only mechanical parts. Sometimes, they rivet armour into their bodies. No-one knows where they come from; they seemingly wander the world randomly in groups, attacking and killing anything that moves.
They refer to themselves as “The Ancestors” but no-one knows why. Regardless, Ancestors are frightening monsters to face, and some of them have grown into strange vehicles of flesh and machinery. They sometimes have firelock guns merged into their arms, and their handheld firearms are made entirely from metal. Considering all of this, Ancestors are a very frightening foe to face; they do not exhibit tactics or sense, and tend to charge pell-mell, but they may break from confusion.
The Primogen
Mysterious beings, consisting of glass-like skeletons inside immense, bulky suits of mechanical armour up to eight feet tall and weighing well over a tonne. They cannot speak any language, but can hiss, shake parts of their armour, and beam rays of light out their visors or armour to form images or symbols, which seems to be how they communicate.
Wielding medieval weapons such as two-handed morning stars, poleaxes, great swords, and halberds, and sometimes all-metal guns, Primogenitors are very slow-moving due to wearing the heaviest and thickest armours weighing up to over a tonne, and unable to swim. Their armour is of such excellent steel and thickness that they are bullet-proof; they literally need to be wrestled off their feet and a gun barrel rammed into the gaps or openings of their armour to be shot. They are, essentially, walking tanks.
Primogenitors are so-called Primogen or Primogenitors by the Ancestors, who always fight them when the opportunity arrives, but very few humans have seen such a rare event happen. Since the Ancestors call these mechanical beings Primogen or Primogenitors, so does the human world. No-one knows where they come from, and Primogenitors seemingly wander the world randomly in small groups or alone, but they only fight if provoked or attacked. Since they cannot speak any language, what they truly are, will forever be a mystery.
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a part of “Blood of Dracul”, a fictional universe by JonathanKonopka.
Anachronistic Gothic fiction set in Transylvania, merging the 17th to 19th centuries, and including fantasy, steampunk, historic fiction, and minor to major historic factions.
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by JonathanKonopka on Mon Sep 19, 2016 9:05 pm
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